What First-Year Mechanical Engineering Students Can Expect

The first year for any college student can be difficult, especially if their major is completely foreign to them. This blog post will help students who are taking first-year Mechanical Engineering (ME) classes to understand what they should expect.

MME Professor Nathalie Neve

Mechanical Engineering can be applied to so many fields that it may be hard to know what to expect from the classes. Professor Nathalie Neve, who is one of the professors who teaches ME 120, 121, and 122, has answered a few questions for students interested in Mechanical Engineering.

Q: What can first-year students expect to learn in intro classes?

A: During the first year, students will be introduced to the tools and
skills of a mechanical engineer. They should also expect to learn about electric mechanical systems and incorporating different factors into the design of mechanical devices. The curriculum of the intro classes not only lay the foundation for ME, but also introduces subjects students will learn their following years.

Q: How are classes taught (e.g. hands-on, project-based etc)?

A: Professor Neve's classes are heavily hands-on with small experiments and projects. The theories learned from the hands-on work are either delivered on videos or in class.

Q: Advice for first-year students?

A: Start projects early, expect team work, come in open-minded and ready to work. The more active you are in class, the less you have to do outside of class.

Professor Neve also provided a resource for students who are interested in Mechanical Engineering. This link will lead you to a page that briefly describes all the Mechanical Engineering classes needed for the major at Portland State University. https://www.pdx.edu/mme/undergraduate-courses